Rationale
I teach fourth grade at John S. Martinez Elementary School in New Haven, Connecticut. My class is comprised of approximately twenty-seven students who are 98% Hispanic. John S. Martinez is in an urban setting where the students are from low income families. Within the classroom, my students are strapped with the demands of testing: CMTs, (Connecticut Mastery Test) as well as district math, reading and language arts assessments. Reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, and science compete for center stage, often squeezing the science curriculum to its bare bones. Students are unprepared for the rigors and expectations of the science CMT's in fifth grade. We are living in an age of exploration and enlightenment where science and technology offer a plethora of information accessible to our students. I would like to bring science to center stage, wrapping the curriculum around it, making it the star our students need it to be; shining its light across the curriculum through the engaging, intriguing subject matter of the cell, DNA, genes and the science of bioengineering .
My goal is to stimulate excitement in biological science by focusing on the properties of DNA and its functions within the cell. Since my students do not have background knowledge in cell biology, this unit will begin with an introduction to cell structure, and function. Then, the fundamental principles of DNA will be introduced through the study of its characteristics, structural elements, and functions within the human cell. Through this exploration, I expect students to form an understanding for the scope and magnitude held within our DNA. I hope that pure awe and wonder will evolve as students come to realize that DNA is the building block of life, holding the design of who we are and ultimately who we become. A focus on the role of genes in the inheritance of traits and diseases will be exercised with the Punnett square. In addition, students will learn that the genes in our DNA hold our individualized human blueprint in each one of our cells. Next, students will learn that it is through the expression of the genes in each cell, the way they turn off and on, that defines cell function. Then, students will learn that the processes of DNA replication, transcription, and translation ultimately determine the proteins built which make our cells function properly or produce disease. Finally, students will study genetic illnesses, their causes, symptoms and the ways in which gene therapies, interventions, or engineering to correct these illnesses can be applied. A culminating activity will be for students to imagine the unimaginable, applying what they learned to create their own DNA therapy for an illness.
I envision an interdisciplinary unit of study involving mathematics, science, reading, and writing. Concrete activities and visual illustrations will help to teach complicated, abstract ideas. After students learn concepts, they will have opportunities to demonstrate this knowledge in a variety of ways, such as models, simulations, stories, songs, poems, visual descriptions, and written explanations. In addition, students will keep a daily journal, recording concepts, procedures, and questions as well as documenting learning through illustrations. Students will cooperatively reflect upon learning daily and formulate new questions in their journals.
A revolutionary age of science and technology is before us, where what was once a dream is now a reality. Genes are now used as tools to treat, cure, and prevent disease. Imagine what our students will be able to develop if given this knowledge to ponder, simmer, and grow; empowered to envision future treatments of their own. I cannot think of a more relevant topic than genetic engineering at this time. With this knowledge, I believe I can inspire my students to think, question, investigate, and imagine ways in which they can change the world, improving the quality of life and health on our planet.
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